Shirt-ironing machine.



C. L. BRALEY.

SHIRT IRONING MACHiNE.

APPLICATION man JUNE 1s, 1.915.

Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

3 S HEETSSHEET I.

l/Vl/E/VTOP Char-1651,. bin/4y (15 ATTORNEYS C. L. BRALEY.

SHIRT IRONING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16. 1915.

M; ATTORNEYS C. L. BRALEY. SHIRT IRONING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE I6. 1915.

1,250,955. Patented Dec. 25,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I I QL/ as UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. BRALEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOIR, TO THE AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERY 00., 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SHIBT-IRONING ACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

Application filed June 16, 1915. Serial No. 34,520.

of Illinois, have invented certain new and' useful Improvements in Shirt-Ironing Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

The invention has for its particular object to provide a machine especially adapted for pressing a garment having an attached collar, such as found on work shirts, outing shirts and similar garments, and is designed with a view to finishing whatare known in the trade as work shirts, by pressing the entire garment at one operation, after the body and collar portions have been previously folded. The invention is directed particularly to the'class of work that is done in shirt factories in preparing garments to be sold in the trade, and the chiefrequirements in this line or work, which are accomplished in the present structure, consist in giving the garment a neat, smooth finish and at the same time minimizing the time and cost involved in the pressing operation. A further object of the invention resides in the provision of means for pressing the body and collar portions of a folded collar attached shirt at one operation, without permitting the forwardly extending collar portions to come into contact with the body portion of the garment during the pressing operation, thus overcoming the undesirable creased ordepressed portions in the bosom caused by pressing the arment with the collar portions superposed irectly upon the bosom. Another purpose of my, improvement is to so mount the bed on which the garment is supported that it will yield properly to allow for any unevenness in the folded shirt, while at the same time maintaining the garment in sufliciently tight engagement with the ironing chest to ve it-the desired finish over every portion 0 its exposed upper surface. To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end f the specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation partially in section, showing the application of my improvement in a preferred form;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the bedand supporting means on the line 2 a of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line Li -3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4e is a plan view showing the character of plate which I employ in pressing a collarattached shirt;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken centrally of the plate shown in Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a plan view illustrating the manner of applying the plate to a shirt.

Similar reference numerals in the several figures indicate the same parts.

In the present embodiment of the invention, there i employed a frame comprising uprights 1, on which is mounted a head 2 carrying the ironin member or chest 3 which may be heated in any suitable manner. 4 is a bed or garment support arranged with relation to the heated chest in such manner as to effect a relative movement between them in order to bring the bed and chest into pressing relation with one another, and in the illustration of the invention, I have disclosed the more common type of machine where the bed is adapted to beraised vertically into engagement with the heated chest. To this end 1- employ a support 5, with which cooperates an elevatin block 6 arranged therebeneath and a apted to be moved upwardly or downwardly to raise and permit lowering the garment on the bed into and out of engagement with the heated chest.

The bed 4 is resiliently arranged upon its support 5, so as to maintain the garment in close contact with the heated chest and at the same time permit the bed to -yield sufliciently to allow for any irregularities or unevenness in the pressed body. To this end the sup ort is provided with a series of sockets g within which are disposed bearings or buiiers 8 formed of rubber or similar solid elastic substance. The bed 4 carries a corresponding number of projections or pins 9 arranged to fit into the sockets 7 and engage the rubber bearings 8. Thus the bed is readily removable from its support, and when positioned thereon, is capable of a universal yielding movement, allowing any portion of the bed to recede slightly from the heated chest in accommodating an excessively thick or irregular portion of the surface of the garment. In providing for the yieldable support of the bed, I have found that rubber or similar material, as a bearing, gives a better result than a metal spring in the same relation, since the latter affords too great yieldability or elasticity of the bed and does not serve to hold it with the proper degree of tightness in engagement with the heated chest.

The machine is designed to be employed particularly for operating on what are generally known as work shirts, although susceptible of use in connection with any collar attached shirt, which may be folded in the manner shown generally in Fig. 6, the collar being flattened with relation to the body portion or bosom of the shirt and composing forwardly extended portions 10 and 11, and a rear portion 12. In pressing shirts of this style it has been the custom to press directly on the entire upper surface, forcing the collar portions into the body of the garment, and this has resulted in depressions or creases forming in the body portion around the collar, presenting a very unsightly and undesirable appearance, which detracts from the shirt, and from its value as a new article. .In order to overcome this I have provided for spacing the forwardly folded collar portions from the body of a shirt during the ironing operation, and for ironing the upper side of the bosom where it' underlies such collar portions. This may be accomplished in different ways, and I have illustrated one method by which I purpose using a metal plate 13, arranged to overlie the entire garment and provided with curved portions 14 which extend under the forwardly folded parts of the collar and follow closely the base line of the collar, as shown in Fig. 6. The curved portions 14 terminate in angular ends 15, which fit into the collar at the points where the forwardly folded parts connect with the rear part 12, serving to shape the collar and maintain it in its proper form, as shown in Fig. 6. The plate 13 is notched as at 16 in order to accommodate collars of different widths, the rear edge of the forwardly folded part of the collar being determined by the edge on the plate connecting the angular end 15 and the notch 16. The under surface of the metal plate 13 is exposed to contact with the garment, giving a proper finish thereto when the bed is elevated into pressing relation to the chest. The upper side of the plate 13 is, however, provided with a partial covering of felt or similar material 17 which underlies the forwardly folded parts of the collar. The lower edge of the plate is also preferably provided on opposite sides with a covering of felt or fabric 18 to protect the hands of the operator in handling the plate when hot.

-In the operation of the device, the shirt is first placed on the bed in folded form, as shown in Fig. 6. The operator then takes hold of the plate 13, inserting the angular ends 15 under the forwardly folded parts of the collar, and forcing the plate lightly in a rearward direction until it is stopped by the rear part 12 of the collar. The plate is then let down onto the body portion of the garment, preferably by a gradual rolling movement, which serves to smoothe the surface of the shirt'and eradicate any wrinkles that may be present. The machine is next operated to bring the heated chest and bed into pressing relation, at which time the bed will yield against the rubber bearings in such manner as to accommodate all parts of the garment regardless of thickness, and effect an even pressing contact with the exposed surface, resulting in an extremely pleasing and highly desirable finish.

The structure which I have shown and described is not the only means by which the invention can be carried out, and it will be understood that this application is intended to cover any modifications or departures coming within the spirit of the invention and the terms of the claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an ironing machine, the combination with a relatively movable heated chest and garment bed, of a plate adapted to be laid upon the bosom of a collar attached shirt and having portions extending under the forwardly folded parts of the collar to prevent the collar from being pressed into the body of the shirt.

2. In an ironing machine, the combination with a relatively movable heated chest and garment bed, of a plate adapted to lie between the collar and the body portion of a collar attached shirt to prevent the collar flrlom being pressed into the body of the s 1rt.

' 3. In an ironing machine, the combination with a relatively movable heated chest and garment bed, of a plate adapted to be laid upon the bosom of a collar attached shirt and having curved portions for underlying the forwardly folded parts of the collar to entirely space them from the body of the shirt and prevent them from being pressed into the shirt.

4. In an ironing machine, the combination with a relatively movable heated chest and garment bed, of a plate adapted to be laid upon the bosom of a collar attached shirt and having curved portions terminating in angular ends adapted to underlie the forwardly folded parts of the collar and entirely space them from the body of the shirt tpl prevent them from being pressed into the s 1rt.

5. In an ironing machine, the combination with a relatively movable heated chest and garment bed, of a metal plate adapted to be laid upon the body portion of a collar attached shirt under the forwardly folded part of the collar, and a felt covering on the upper side of the plate engaging the under side of the collar.

6. In an ironing machine, the combination With a relatively movable heated chest and garment bed, of a metal plate adapted to be laid upon the bosom of a collar attached shirt and having portions extending under the forwardly folded parts of the collar and provided with felt coverings on the upper side engaging the' under side of the collar.

7. In an ironing machine, the combination with a relatively movable heated chest and garment bed, of a metal plate adapted to be laid upon the bosom of a collar attached shirt and having curved portions terminating in angular ends adapted to underlie the forwardly folded parts of a collar, and felt coverings on the upper side of said curved portions having engagement With the under side of the collar.

8. A garment pressing machine for a collar attached shirt, comprisin upper and lower relatively movable pressing members, and means adapted to be inserted between the attached collar and the body portion of the shirt for shaping the collar and holding it in position during the pressing operation.

CHARLES L. BRALEY.

Witnesses: RUSSELL B. GRIFFITH, H. E. STONEBRAKER. 

